Did you serve in the military? If so, when and what service?

[Fledermaus]

Military dependent for 16 years (Yeah that's a sacrifice too!) and then joined the ANG as a weapons specialist loading munitions on F-4s for 6 years from 86-92. 122nd CAMS, Ft. Wayne, Indiana. A really great group at this squadron but got tired of missing out on things one weekend a month. It always seemed like the nicest weather was that weekend! Allegedly we missed Desert Storm by 20 minutes as hostilities ended early. We are going to fly laser pod support for the F-16's or so I was told.
My unit got convoy duty in Iraq in later years.

The old man retired as a Great Beret as MSGT in 73.' It's possible the same F-4's I loaded munitions on were called into my dad's compound for air support earlier in Vietnam.

Fellow bomb boy.

 

[Bum]

United States Army Medical Corp, 1984-2008

 

[Tangmo]

My dad died a few years back and I don’t remember if the Commander wore chaplain insignia or not to be honest. We did have a regular parish priest there if that’s any help.

I was kind of taken aback when I saw the silver oak leaf - not that I know the protocol, more that I figured he’d have other responsibilities to take care of.
The funeral director afterwards mentioned that this officer officiates on occasion. Whether it was because they were short handed or because it’s a small town in upstate NY I don’t know.

It would have been a touching service in any case but I have to be honest having a high ranking officer there remembering my dad’s service made is very special.

Yes indeed, something special and the Commander rank officer knows that is the quality of a military burial, ie, it's something special -- it is out of the ordinary. It's about military service and the gratitude of the country for it, ie, the people. Hence the Commander entered the picture to complete what you describe as a masterwork cherished always by you and your mother and brothers.

It looks very much like the Commander is not a chaplain btw. In answering my own question I base this on what you said in the post, about the funeral director who said the CDR occasionally officiates at a military burial. This makes it sound like the CDR did not have the duty or responsibility to join your family at your dad's gravesite that a chaplain would rightfully have and accept readily and routinely in each instance.

The funeral directors remark indicates to me the CDR joined you voluntarily, probably spontaneously and at his own initiative, being the excellent officer and gentleman that he clearly is. And due to his honorable sense of duty to his charges as a Naval officer whether he knows the sailor or veteran individually or does not.

 

[vegas giants]

Seabees 1983 to 1993

 

[Tangmo]

You still have American military in Thailand, most at the JUSMAGTHAI compound on Satorn Road in Bangkok. They haven't moved since my time in Thailand, 1967-69 and 1973-76. Then there is the Cobra Gold exercises every year in Thailand. U-Tapao was where our B-52's flew from during the Vietnam War among others. We had over 50,000 troops stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Mostly Air Force.

Military wise, the U.S. and Thai military have retained a very friendly relationship. Governments not so much, sometimes very friendly, sometimes adversary. I have a friend, an ex-pat that lives near Hua Hin. More around the different parts of Thailand. I had an excellent career, both active duty and then as a civilian working for the army.

I'm not unaware thx anyway: I said I never met any US military personnel. I did not say there weren't any there during my total 13 years in Thailand nor did I say US military personnel and forces weren't ever in Thailand. The Former Land of Smiles and USA are formal "mutual" defense treaty allies since early in the Cold War and Cobra Gold is well known thx anyway again. You jumped the gun on this I'm afraid.

 

[NewfieMom]

Thanks much for your curiosity about The Old Guard of the Army, the 3rd Infantry Regiment that is the oldest active infantry unit of the Army, since 1784, posted to Ft. Myer Va., next to Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon since 1948 as "The Official Escort To The President" unit of the armed forces.

The principal mission of the ceremonial unit of each armed service in Washington DC is to conduct military funerals in ANC. Each service member selected for this mission is awarded the high honor and privilege to perform these solemn and sacred duties. I did this myself in TOG from 1966-70, during which time I participated in more than a thousand Army honors funerals or full honors funerals to include some Joint Force funerals and state funerals.

The overriding mission of these Washington DC units of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard is the defense of the nation's capital and area under the Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region that is in the Washington background of the video, at Ft. Leslie J. McNair. In the upper right of the video frame, on this side of the Potomac, we can see (and hear) some of Reagan National Airport that uses the Potomac as the landing approach path.

JFH-NCR is a part of Northern Command at Peterson AFB, Colorado that consists of the 5th Army and the 1st Air Force with some units of Marines and Navy to include CG. 3 IR TOG is a part of the 5th Army and continually rotates one company deployed abroad in a combatant command. Sen. Tom Cotton was in TOG too although I don't say that too loudly ha.

All the same it's good to lighten up somewhat as we sort of do in this video that I wanted to post in reply to your excellent post. The video records four 5th graders from the Betsy Ross Elementary School in Washington DC placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The video opens with TOG commander of the relief instructing them in the procedure. I challenge anyone here ha to follow these instructions issued by the TOG Sergeant E-5 commander of the relief that these four children did precisely. Everyone agrees these boys and girls are amazing.





So I see I'm still not smarter than a 5th grader. Certainly not these 5th graders at the Ross Elementary in upper Northwest Washington DC that includes Georgetown, National Cathedral, The American University, St. Albans School for Boys and so on. The neighborhood of this public school includes "Embassy Row" on Massachusetts Avenue. The non-profit GreatSchools says, "Most students at this school are performing at or above grade level."

Ross Elementary consists of learners who are 49% white, 19% Hispanic, 16% black, 9% Asian, 7% of two or more races. Being a boy at this school has its advantages too btw as 60% of the learners are girls.

And check out the four kids at the end after they're released by the Sergeant ha. You'll wanna pinch each cheek hah.

Thank you so much for your lovely reply to my posting and for sharing that wonderful video. I am somewhat familiar with Northwest DC because, although I have spent most of my life in Connecticut, I lived in northern Virginia briefly while my husband worked in The District. You seem to have a special affinity for children, to have a natural teacher's instincts towards them. I find that very impressive. Thank you again.

 

[Manc Skipper]

You sit behind the pilot and shout "Over There!!! Over there!!!" from time to time.

In the Royal Navy you stand behind the helmsman and say "Left hand down a bit!" " - Right hand down a bit!"

 

[Tangmo]

Thank you so much for your lovely reply to my posting and for sharing that wonderful video. I am somewhat familiar with Northwest DC because, although I have spent most of my life in Connecticut, I lived in northern Virginia briefly while my husband worked in The District. You seem to have a special affinity for children, to have a natural teacher's instincts towards them. I find that very impressive. Thank you again.

You are very kind thanks.

I strongly prefer teaching university-college while doing high school is okay, each of which I did in USA, Thailand, China. In USA I'm certified in Secondary. In S. Korea I did one year at a middle school and one year at a high school, my being transferred to the high school at my request and just to be with learners older than middle school.

In China my experience includes two years as foreign staff director of a large and prosperous, private, language school and where we had to teach at every level, so one year included my spending three afternoons a week teaching at a private elementary school, with a Chinese bilingual teaching assistant, grades 4 and 5. I went into it apprehensively yet the kids blew me away with their personality, antics, hard work and total involvement. While the Chinese young gal teaching asst. was out of place completely -- all she knew was to say sit down and be still -- the children and I got to feast on it. I put it in the Department of The Things Kids Say...And Do.

So the video took me from The Old Guard of the Army to Betsy Ross Elementary together in the same locale via a private elementary school experience in southern China after your checking out my TOG command plaque in my DP avatar. All this while Donald Trump is president of the United States of all things. So this is actually pretty lively stuff I'm pleased to say thx again.

 

[Tangmo]

Thank you so much for your lovely reply to my posting and for sharing that wonderful video. I am somewhat familiar with Northwest DC because, although I have spent most of my life in Connecticut, I lived in northern Virginia briefly while my husband worked in The District. You seem to have a special affinity for children, to have a natural teacher's instincts towards them. I find that very impressive. Thank you again.

Your mention of you and the spouse living in northern Virginia when he worked in DC prompts me still yet, if you don't mind...still yet. After TOG and separation I did grad school at AU, living in mid-town where I survived by using my Army escape and evasion training so the muggers never got me even once during the two years ha. AU being outrageously expensive as were so many others along the East Coast in particular.

Then when I worked on Capitol Hill I lived in Arlington off Pershing Drive that originates in Ft. Myer and runs through Arlington County toward Seven Corners and intersects Glebe Road right off first thingy. I rented a house two blocks up from Ft. Myer North Gate at Virginia Highway 50 where TOG regiment billets form a long row down Sheridan Drive to the NCO high rise family residences.

I'd pop onto the post more dayze than not to see old friends who introduced me to new friends and to take in ceremonies and parades at will not to mention the Deli afterward. The grunts still joked the most dangerous thing about TOG was to get across Highway 50 to the Deli since it had no footbrigdes until only recently, offering only zooming traffic instead -- in each direction of course with an island median for regrouping. Never a scratch btw, still.

 

[BahamaBob]

2 years 1970-72. Drafted, served in Vietnam, Airborne.